Rob Andrew has refused to back down in the Olivier Azam race row, despite Gloucester clearing the hooker of allegedly verbally abusing Epi Taione.

The Kingsholm club have called a Press conference for tomorrow at which they are expected to roundly criticise the Newcastle manager.

And it is said that owner Tom Walkinshaw has instructed his staff to investigate whether he can report Andrew to the the RFU and the Premiership for bringing the game into disrepute for the allegations he made after last Saturday's match.

It's a threat which left Andrew completely unmoved last night, and he made it clear nothing will deflect Newcastle from pursuing their case against Azam - who they say verbally abused flanker Taione and spat in the Tongan's face.

That led to a mass brawl involving several players, after which Azam and Taione were sent off. And the RFU have summoned both players to a disciplinary hearing next Thursday.

While the statement the RFU has released says they have not yet received a complaint from Newcastle regarding allegations of racial abuse, it says "a full investigation will be undertaken on receipt of any specific complaint and, if appropriate, a further date will be confirmed in due course once sufficient grounds have been submitted to warrant a further hearing".

There is every prospect of that, with Andrew saying last night: "We haven't filed the formal complaint yet, but we will. We're talking to the RFU at the moment as to what they actually want from us.

"It may be that the whole thing is dealt with as part of the disciplinary hearing. All the evidence we will be gathering for that disciplinary hearing will be available to the RFU either before that hearing or at the hearing.

"That's why we haven't put in anything as yet because we're gathering as much information from players and officials as we can."

The RFU statement about next Thursday's hearing also says: "The panel (Jeff Blackett, Jeff Probyn and David Hurst) will receive evidence from the referee's report regarding the sending off of Gloucester's Olivier Azam and Newcastle Falcons Epeli Taione."

I understand that referee Roy Maybank's report contains no reference to any racial abuse, but Andrew insists that several players from both sides heard it.

"The video clearly shows Azam spitting in Epi's face," he said. "That's what kicks off the fight between them.

"You can see Azam spit at Epi, it's as clear as anything. Our players will be giving evidence and we're going through the process of gathering that evidence, of which there is a lot.

"Gloucester can do what they want on Saturday, that's fine by me. They seem to be suggesting that we have made this up, that's certainly not the case." Azam has been suspended by Gloucester, but the club insist it has nothing to do with Newcastle's allegations of racism against him. And Azam has categorically denied racially abusing Taione.

Andrew has no intention of suspending Taione, who he feels was sorely provoked.

I understand the evidence being compiled points to Azam starting both fights. And there is also independent evidence that Gloucester's chief steward did say that people had been ejected from the ground for shouting racist abuse - something the club's managing director Ken Nottage denied after the game.